December 20, 2024

Jody Sheriff inducted into Special Olympics Hall of Fame

Jody Sheriff has reached a new pinnacle of Special Olympics this week in that she went to West Des Moines on Wednesday to be inducted into the Special Olympics Iowa Hall of Fame.

The Greenfield resident has a long list of achievements within Special Olympics on a national scale, however to be named to to the league’s Hall of Fame is a “shocker,” she told the Adair County Free Press over the weekend.

“This is the first time I’ve been inducted into something,” Sheriff exclaimed.

Sheriff has a “slug of medals” stored in a display case at her apartment that was made by Frank Madison. Her first big event win came in the early 1990s when Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who is former president John F. Kennedy’s sister, was there and placed Sheriff’s medal around her neck. Sheriff has medals stored both at her apartment and at the home of her parents, the Eileen and the late Cliff Sheriff, who passed away in February.

Sheriff began in Special Olympics 34 years ago. At one time, she was involved more locally with the various sports, and her parents were her coaches. Now, she often travels to take part in Special Olympics activities in Corydon, where her sister Kristy resides. It has been Kristy who has often been her teammate in unified sports where one special needs athlete is paired with another athlete in competition.

The list of sports Sheriff has played includes bowling, cheer, bocce ball, track and field, cycling, basketball skills, volleyball equestrian and team softball. According to a press release from Special Olympics, she is also a Global Messenger and has had several opportunities to compete on a national and international level.

She competed in bowling in several competitions, like the World Games in Minneapolis in 1992, Shanghai in 2007 and Orlando in 2022. It was in Orlando that she received her most recent gold medal, in bowling, as well as a silver medal. Sheriff also competed in track and field at the 2010 USA games in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“Jody has been able to have a lot of wonderful experiences. This Orlando deal [earlier this year] was all thanks to Kristy,” Eileen said. “There’s a huge amount of paperwork involved. I used to do it, but Kristy did it all this time.”

Sheriff is a part of Special Olympics Iowa’s first Hall of Fame class. Other inductees are Bobby Johnson of Waterloo, Deb Eldred of West Des Moines, Eileen and the late Joe Wilson of Cedar Falls, Kim Lively of Ames, Randy Spurr of Norwalk, Ron Miller of Muscatine and the late Suzie Morrman of Corydon.

Special Olympics Iowa offers 21 Olympic-style sports to more than 14,500 athletes and Unified partners year-round.

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson has served as News Editor of the Adair County Free Press and Fontanelle Observer since Oct. 2017. He and his wife Kilee live in Greenfield. In Greenfield and the greater Adair County area, he values the opportunity to tell peoples' stories, enjoys playing guitar, following all levels of sports, and being a part of his local church.